OWN IT: Your Life, Your Journey

What are your top 5 priorities? Go ahead... make a list. Number them in order. Done?

Now consider the following: Your actions dictate your priorities. Not the other way around. Our actions will ultimately tell us what it is we prioritize. Think about it; and be honest with yourself, if instead you listed out the 5 things you spend the most time doing... what wouldtheybe? How would your initial list look differently? Do you spend most of your time at work? With your family? On your phone? Some would be surprised to understand that given this set of rules regarding our priorities, what we once believed to be our #1 priority, really isn't that at all. For instance, some respond to the priorities question listing their family as number 1, only later to find out that they spend the majority of their time working. Does this mean that they love their family any less? Of course not--priorities and love are two different things. You can love your family, and thus, spend a majority of your time at work because you know that is what you need to do support the ones you love, so in this case, OF COURSE work would be the number one priority. The same goes with exercise, training, goal setting and execution.

What was the last goal you promised yourself you would accomplish? Weight loss? Running a marathon? PR your back squat? Maybe even qualify for Regionals in the sport of fitness? Have you thought about why you might have fell short of accomplishing this goal? I mean REALLY thought about why? Often times when we fall short of these goals, we find excuses, point fingers, blame others for our short-comings, or even start to believe that were simply not good enough! Could it be that sometimes what we think we want the most, we actually don't want at all? The short answer is that when our values are not aligned with our priorities, things get pretty muddled and most times we come up short of what we want to accomplish. The relationship between values and priorities is interesting. It's important as human beings that we reflect often on our journey regarding where we are today, where we TRULY want to go, and how exactly it is that we will get there. What will it take? What will you need to accomplish this goal? What is the level of commitment you have to give to the task in order to be dedicated enough to achieve what you are setting out to do? Are you willing to be vulnerable, and be honest with yourself and others in order to be victorious?

This is no easy task. Many people talk, (A LOT), about what they want to achieve. But the truth is, they are unwilling to OWN IT.

It is a magical thing when your actions become aligned with what you truly want and where you spend your time. When we are honest, committed, and willing to be vulnerable in giving everything we have to accomplish what we most desire; we become something else altogether, and it is here that we are capable of achieving great things, and exceeding our greatest expectations. Make no mistake, this is not comfortable. It is difficult to commit to something whole-heartedly. After all, what if we give everything we have to our journey, and in the end we STILL come up short? Scary stuff...

Experience tells me that the greatest amount of growth happens when we fall just short of greatness. It is here that we realize the growth we have made up to that point, and thiugh we may stand in that moment as a goat, if full effort was given to the cause, failure only becomes a learning opportunity, a chance to reboot and come back twice as strong, and is ultimately a stepping stone along the journey itself.

Honesty-->Alignment of values-->Commitment to the journey-->Vulnerability -->Growth-->Reflection. This is the process we must understand when we embark on setting goals, and executing our plan to accomplish them. It starts with being honest about what (REALLY) it is that we want. If we're honest, we can align our actions with our why. Our actions will allow us to be committed to achievement. If we open our hearts, and are unafraid of the mistakes we will make along the way, then we open the door for real growth and reflection. Look deep inside. Ask yourself, "What is it that I really want? More than anything else?" And then...

In the words of Clint Eastwood, "Keep your eyes on the horizon, and your nose to the wind," and OWN IT.